Folding hem adjuster



Nov. 27, 1928.

1,693,176 L. A. HANES ET AL FOLDING HEM ADJUSTER Filed Oct. 31, 1927 2Sheets-Sheet 1 7 l5 /4- [v a gnwnto'os La u/"a ii/haw Verneflfla/u's, Im d/$ M Nov. 27, 1928. 1,693,176

L. A. HANES ET AL FOLDING HEM ADJUSTER Filed Oct. 31, 1927 2Sheets-Sheet 2 E5 mm i S E i 3mm; \s Laura eff 22216.9

K rnefllfanes Patented Nov. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAURA A. HANES, F TIFFIN, OHIO, AND VERNE D. HANES, OF JACKSON,MICHIGAN,

FOLDING HEM ADJUSTER.

' Application filed October 31, 1927. Serial No. 230,160.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in folding hemadjusters.

One object of our invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich is simple and economical in construction, very durable in use andextremely easy to operate. A'further object of our invention is toprovide a hem adjuster that may be folded into compact form when not inuse to facilitate transportation and storage.

With the foregoing and other ob ects in View that will appear as thenature of our invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement partsillustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes onlyand are therefore not drawn to scale:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of our device ready for use.

Figure 2 is an edge View.

Figure 8 is a View similar to Figure 1, with themeasuring and markingelements in folded position.

Figure l is a plan View.

Figure is a vertical transverse sect-ion, taken on line of Figure 2.Referring to the drawings fora more particular description of ourinvention and in which drawings like parts are designated by likereference characters throughout the several views, our device comprisesa flat relatively narrow rectangular oblong base 1, preferably of wood,formed in its upper face near one end with a transverse groove 2, whichex tends across the entire width of thebase.

Our device further comprises a pair of measuring and marking elements 8and 4, respectively, in the form of straight flat elongated woodenstrips, as shown. The face of the measuring strip 3 is marked off orgraduated, as at 5, into inches and fractional parts thereof. while themarking strip 4 is perfectly plain. The aforesaid elements 3 and 4 arearranged diagonally opposite each other, that IS to say, the markingstrip is arranged slightly behind and in spaced relation with themeasuring strip and with its inner side edge in vertical alinement orregistration with the adjacent side edge of the measuring strip.

The strips 3 and 4 are secured at their lower ends to and carried by thecross piece or yoke 6, the bottonredge 6 of which fits in the transversegroove 2 when the hem adjuster is in use. The yoke 5 is held inremovable posltion but against casual displacement in the groove 2 bythe straight spring Wires 7 and 8 which are arranged along opposite sideedges of the base 1 and are formedat opposite ends with right-angularlybent portions 9 and 10 which fit in corresponding-recesses or sockets 11and 12, formed in the opposite ends of the yoke and the opposite sideedges of the base, respectively. The spring wires 7 and 8 are secured tothe base by the staples 13 which straddle said wires and. penetrate theside edges of the former. rear ends 14 of the spring wires extend inahorizontal plane while the major forward portions 15 extending betweenthe staples and the extreme front ends of the wires, are dis posed at amoderate upward inclination. This produces the required tension on theyoke suflicient to hold the same in position in the groove in the baseunder normal conditions but the yoke with the measuring and mark ingstrips carried thereby may be lifted out of the aforesaid groove againstthe tension of the spring wires and folded flatwise against the base 1.This renders the device into compact form and facilitates storage andtransportation.

lnpractice, the device is placed in position on the floor beneath theskirt or other garment, the hem of which is to be gauged in relation toits height from the floor. The bottom of the skirtis then placed betweenthe measuring and marking strips with the former situated on the outsideand the latter serving as a support against which pressure may beapplied with pencil or chalk. The person wearing the garment, the lengthof which is being gauged, turns as the marking process proceeds untilthe garment has been marked completely around. Both length of skirtanddepth of hem may be marked at thesame time, thus saving'time and labor.When the garment has been marked completely around by chalk or pencildashes at frequent intervals, the same may be removed from the personwearing it, the surplus fabric trimmed away and the hem turned up andsewed.

\Vhen folded the device may be laid on a table or across the lap toserve as a gauge It will be noted that the.

bit

or rule in cutting bands or bias pieces or it may be used as a ruler inmeasuring lengths of goods, its folding construction being suchconnection with the drawings, it is thoughtthat the constructionoperation and advantages of our invention will bereadily understoodwithout requiring a more CXiGlNk-XIGX- plana-tion. Y

I-Iaving described ourinvention, what we 7 claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the characterdescribed, a base provided in its facewith a transverse groove, a cross piece or yoke adapted to seat in saidgroove, measuring and marking strips carried by said yoke and resilientmeans for yield-ably holding the yoke in said groove against casualdisplacement. V

2. In a device of the character specified, a base provided in its facewith a transverse groove, a cross piece or yoke adapted to seat in saidgroove, measuring and marking strips carried by said yoke and springWires for yieldably holding the yoke in said groove against casualdisplacement.

3. In a device of the character specified, a base provided in its facewith a transverse groove, a cross piece or yoke adapted to seat in saidgroove, measuring and marking strips carried by said yoke and springWires for yieidably holding the yoke in said groove against casualdisplacement, said spring wires comprising straight horizontal rear endportions and straight upwardly inclined frontportions engaging the endsof the yoke and means for securingthe spring wires to opposite sides ofthe base.

In testimony whereof we our signatures. V

LAURA A. HANES. VERNE D. HANES.

